An Argentine of Italian descent, trained in the art of bel canto in Buenos Aires, Franco Fagioli is considered one of the greatest countertenors in the world. Winner of the “Abbiati” Prize in 2011, he retraces his unusual musical journey in his latest album, The Last Castrato. Arias for Velluti, released today by Château de Versailles Spectacles. The recording, featuring the choir and orchestra of the Opéra Royal conducted by Stefan Plewniak, is a tribute to the last great castrato singer.

For this new album, Fagioli has selected a collection of signature arias once performed by Giovanni Battista Velluti, an Italian composer and singer who left a lasting mark on musicians of his time and those of later generations. The recording includes works by Gioachino Rossini and Saverio Mercadante—two of the most important opera composers of the 19th century—alongside lesser-known but equally noteworthy composers such as Paolo Bonfichi, Giuseppe Nicolini, and Francesco Morlacchi, whose close collaboration with Velluti deserves to be rediscovered.

“This project is deeply rooted in my love for bel canto,” says Fagioli. “It developed while I was a student at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, a venue with a strong Italian operatic tradition. At the time, I was the first countertenor to study at the theater’s vocal school, and there weren’t even scores available for my repertoire. That’s why I began performing male roles originally written for mezzo-sopranos or contraltos, such as Arsace in Rossini’s Semiramide or Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. That’s when I realized that, although my vocal register was categorized as a countertenor by contemporary standards, my vocality aligned more closely with what we would now call a mezzo-soprano.”